Chapter Text
*
The church was draped with silence with the breaths of two individuals echoing in the room. The light rays, shining yellow and pink from the stained glass windows, fell over the pews as blue eyes looked down. The air had been heavy for a while before a hoarse voice spoke,
"So, you're breaking up with me because I'm a man?"
A sharp intake of breath from the man beside him was followed by a refined voice, polished by years of control,
"I had already informed you of the consequences when you agreed to acquaint yourself with me. I don't particularly have a problem with this... relationship, if you can call it one, however, the Hyuuga require an heir and being the most suitable candidate, I must marry a woman."
The table trembled as a fist was thrown over it,
"STOP SAYING SUCH FANCY WORDS! THAT'S BULLSHIT! YOU COULD HAVE SAID ALL THAT BEFORE, Y'KNOW!"
The pale eyed man beside the blond finally lifted his face, his eyes holding no remorse. At least not any that the blond could see. He stood up in the same composed manner as if all of this held no value to him,
"Make what you want of it. I have spoken my part. Farewell, Naruto."
Naruto watched as the long haired brunette walked towards the doorway with disbelieving eyes before noticing the bracelet on his wrist that the departing figure had once gifted him.
Perhaps, out of spite, the blond tore it off before rushing outside to throw it on the elegant face that had dismissed him so easily. However, he was not ready for what met him and he never knew he would wish that he had stayed behind in the future.
"Oh really? Well then, take this!"
The moment blue eyes met pale ones, a gunshot echoed, followed by a searing pain through Naruto's left arm, causing him to stagger forward, but not before noticing the eyes across from him widen. He heard his name being called out before lean but firm arms wrapped around him.
Everything happened in an instant.
It was as if a rain of bullets had begun pouring as a body slightly bigger than Naruto's shielded him before everything went still.
He opened his eyes to a horror he knew would haunt him for the rest of his life as pale eyes met blue ones for the last time, then a head collapsed on his shoulder, saying his final words,
"Forgive me... Naruto."
Naruto's eyes widened as terror took over and the blond could only call out "Neji!" before another wave of pain caused him to contort his face and squint his eyes as his vision swayed, before darkness took over.
*
It had been days since Naruto had walked outside and the gloomy weather was not helping either. Footsteps echoed in the cemetery as the blond walked towards the grave like a dead man.
The trees were screaming and plants were withered in sorrow. He walked past numerous graves, his eyes only searching for one. Upon reaching his destination, he could all but stare at the gravestone with the words
Neji Hyuuga
1995-2019
If Naruto ever wanted to deal with his emotions before, then he did what every artist does, and painted. He painted until the colours were used up and no canvas was left. But this...
This was a feeling he had never felt before.
The person he had grown to care for had just left him.
No. He protected him.
And gave his life in the process.
The blond supposed it must have been something important he felt for the deceased brunette as the emotion he felt currently was something he thought he would never have to feel.
The cemetery was under a canopy of dark clouds as the he kept staring for what felt like hours without moving an inch before the sound of another pair of footsteps reached his ears.
He didn't look away.
As the sound reached closer, Naruto became more aware of the droplets falling on his hair and shoulders, soaking him to the bone. His body unconsciously shivered due to the cold when, suddenly, the downpour stopped.
No. It didn't stop. But it wasn't falling on him. Something was stopping the rain.
He finally lifted his head towards his right and in that instant,
Blue met black.
Not the black of the night sky,
but an endless abyss.
Naruto didn't know what he saw in them. Maybe it was his own grief reflected. Maybe pity. Or maybe nothing.
But after looking into those black beads for only a moment, Naruto turned his head towards the grave again.
One tear fell.
Then two.
Soon a voice so low escaped him before turning into a cry for help as he fell to his knees.
The rain was still pouring, the umbrella was still shielding him, and the mysterious man was still standing next to him.
Everything remained the same.
The only difference was that he wasn't alone anymore.
At least for now.
*
The cafe's bell rang as two men stepped inside, one dripping slightly while the other was dry, their boots leaving behind muddy footprints.
The room seemed empty except for one table occupied by an old man reading a newspaper while smoking cigar and another held two teenagers laughing about something.
The blond took a seat at a table closer to the window and continued to stare out at the horizon with red rimmed eyes while the other sat across from him, as if that had been his rightful place since the beginning.
"Welcome to Bella's, gentlemen. What would you like to have?"
The young waitress smiled warmly, trying hard to not stare at the handsome black clad man before writing down the blond's order,
"Black coffee."
The woman nodded before looking expectantly towards the other man.
"What he said."
A deep voice spoke so low, the waitress barely heard it before uttering a "It will be ready in a moment" and walking away.
Both men had still not shared a single word. Naruto kept looking at a bird's nest which had fallen from the tree being soaked in the downpour, most probably a kid's work if the rocks around it were any indication.
"What was the bird's fault..."
Black eyes searched the blond's face before speaking in the same low voice,
"That is the way of the world. The strong step on the weak and no one questions them."
Before turning his head to look at the same nest.
Silence fell over the table again, during which the coffee arrived and the waitress left. That's when the blonde finally tore his gaze from the window towards the cup infront.
He stared for a moment before speaking, almost reverently,
"This was his favourite. I always joked about him always being bitter due to the bitter caffeine he drinks... Although... he tried to be better, I suppose..."
Blue eyes finally looked up to take in the stranger who had followed him up till now.
Sharp features made up an almost regal face as the man's pale skin made him look like a statue. His hair were as dark as his eyes as the black turtle neck defined his lean, but most definitely, strong body. The man had his hands clasped on the table in front, meeting the blond's gaze head on.
"Who are you and why did you follow me?"
"I assumed you would ask that."
"Do you happen to have an answer then?"
The raven searched the blond's face as a ghost of an amused smirk appeared on his face, hearing the sharp retort.
"My name is Uchiha Sasuke and I am to protect you from today onwards until any possible threat to you is eliminated."
Naruto recognized the surname 'Uchiha' considering they were in control of Japan's Self Defence Forces, an internationally renowned and feared power.
The absurdity of the situation almost caused Naruto to huff out a laugh as he shook his head,
"Look dude, if this is a joke, I'm not in the mood for one. I've got better things to do, so..."
The blond made to stand up from his chair before the same deep voice stopped him,
"Are we on joking terms, Uzumaki-san? I want you to look at me and decide whether I would have the time to make jokes about protecting a man's life."
Naruto did not stop because of the sarcastic retort but after hearing his name from the other's mouth.
Now that was surely no coincidence.
He sat back down with a more serious air around him.
"Who sent you?"
That smirk appeared again but more noticeable this time, inciting Naruto to rip it off the man's face before the owner of said smirk spoke,
"Straight to the point? Good. I prefer that."
"You gonna tell me or not!?" the blond slammed his palm on the table, causing the few people present to look his way. His outburst seemed to only bring amusement to the other. However, he masked it well enough.
"Hyuuga Neji passed away quite tragically. I presume he knew such a thing would happen so he sent me a messenger, asking me to return an old favor of his by protecting some one..."
Dark eyes looked over the blond, smirking as Naruto shrank a bit under his gaze, before continuing,
"To be frank, I am not very interested in the notion to protect you either, especially when you're so... Unrefined."
Naruto's frown deepened, clearly offended,
"First of all, you have no right to judge how I look! And second of all, if you don't wanna do it, then don't! You think I'd like to have an arrogant dude with me at all times!?"
The blond picked up his coat before yelling a few more insults, causing the nearby teenagers to cover their ears from the noise. The old man only sighed, shaking his head as Naruto stepped outside.
Sasuke's eye twitched, realizing he would have to pay the bill.
What a guy...
Thankfully, the blond had only walked a little further and he caught up to him soon.
"Didn't I tell you to scram, bastard!?", The blond uttered the last insult in English, before turning away.
One of the perks of knowing English after living in England for 19 years is that you can say anything to these japanese in anger and they would never know.
"This bastard would find utmost pleasure in leaving you by yourself if his hands weren't tide."
Naruto stopped dead in his tracks after hearing the almost perfect accent, as if a native was speaking, before looking at the 'bastard' next to him with wide eyes.
The bastard was smirking at him!
Sasuke only smirked wider, watching the glare sent his way that could most definitely burn down a forest before the owner of said glare turned to walk away.
"You are making this more difficult than it has to be. I will only be with you until you are safe."
The blond halted again before directing his eyes towards the man,
"I'm making this difficult!? A guy suddenly comes up to me and says he's going to follow me to protect me because my dead lover asked him to return his favor and he just starts insulting me and you think I'm making this difficult!?"
Perhaps it was the anger, but Naruto did not pay much mind to the words he spoke, including the 'lover' part. He knew he would reprimand himself later for that, but right now his attention was on the man he was now in front of, looking up to stare daggers at him. The raven still had an almost bored look on his face, which infuriated Naruto even more, before he spoke languidly,
"I only did what had been asked of me and you have insulted me equal times, if not more. Therefore, be an adult and let it go."
Naruto scoffed, "You're telling me to just let someone I don't even know stay by my side at all times?"
"Not all times and my name is Uchiha Sasuke."
"What hell do you want me to do with your name, huh!? And... What do you mean not all times...?"
The raven sighed after watching the blond calm down a bit with a now questioning look on his face.
"I will only be with you when you go outside."
"And how will you know I'm going outside?"
"I will track your location, of course."
The blond looked up with horrified blue eyes, "You mean to say... You'll take away my freedom?...", before shaking his head while looking down with the same terrified look.
Sasuke rolled his eyes at the dramatic reaction, "It will be for your own safety. Besides, I'd much rather prefer hell than stay with you at all times."
"What... Hey wait! What do you mean by that!"
Before the blond could inquire further, his words stuck in his throat upon looking over the sedan parked in front of him, as black as the colour of it's owner's hair..
"Woah..."
With a ghost of a smile, Sasuke stared at the mesmerized face form of the blond and his eyes that were practically holding stars in them. For a second, he may have even thought the man looked cute.
Wait, cute? What the-
Sasuke's chain of thoughts was broken by Naruto's barrage of questions,
"Is this yours? It looks new. Did you just get it? It must have been so expensive. Are you going to drive me in this? Did you get it on installments? Actually, I doubt that, since you're so rich and all." Sasuke raised his eyebrow at the last statement.
"So you do know about the Uchiha...", the raven spoke as an afterthought.
"Well, yeah, who doesn't? So? Is this my new ride?"
Sasuke would have been lying if he said he wasn't surprised by Naruto's dismissal even after knowing who he was. Used to all the women and men throwing themselves at him due to his looks and the 'Uchiha' surname, the blond's reaction was quite refreshing.
"It is and yes, it is mine.", the raven spoke while looking over the car with pride.
Naruto rolled his eyes at the other before widening his eyes as realization dawned upon him.
"So... Whenever I go outside, you'll use this to drive me?"
The expectant look in the blond's gaze made Sasuke cringe a bit, "I suppose that's true. However, I am not your driver, so don't call me for trivial things. I will force you to stay in otherwise."
Naruto shuddered at the threatening look from the other, nodding his head
"Yeah yeah, whatever..."
"Do you comply, then?"
The blond narrowed his eyes at the raven before folding his arms over his chest and pointing a finger at the other man's face,
"Fine! However, I will go wherever and whenever I want. There won't be any change in my routine, you hear? And I'm taking all my classes since I wanna graduate college this year!"
"Like you'll study... "
"What was that!"
"Alright, except you have to keep your phone on at all times and never leave it home. It will cause trouble for me to keep track of your whereabouts."
The blond brought his hand out for a handshake, mumbling unintelligible words and looking the other way,
"Deal, then... "
The raven smirked, before reaching for the soft and surprisingly warm hand despite it having been soaked before, holding it for a moment too long as he stared into those ocean blue eyes.
"Deal."
*
Two days prior
The room was filled with silence except the rustling of papers as a man in his late 20s sat behind the desk with a neat ponytail hanging low behind his back, hair as dark as the coffee set on his table. His hand stopped upon hearing the knock on the door, uttering a low 'come in'.
The door opened to reveal a young man with similar features to his own. Taking off his glasses, the man set aside the papers and looked up to meet the other's eyes..
"I see you finished early, little brother."
"Of course. The mission was a piece of cake, the opposition didn't even fight back before handing over every piece of information. I can't believe you wasted my time on such a small task." Sasuke spoke before tossing a file on the desk, making the cup of coffee shake slightly.
"Well, you may be too young to understand, dear Sasuke, but these small missions help us take our minds off things for the greater matters awaiting us in the future."
Sasuke rolled his eyes at the lecture before narrowing his eyes, "Is that why you sent me there? Because there is 'something bigger' awaiting me?"
A low chuckle sounded in the room. The man found the other's childishness endearing which only a few had ever managed to bring out and he was proud to be one of them.
"Well, your perceptive skills surprise me everytime, dear brother. It feels as though you have surpassed even me."
Sasuke scoffed at the praise before rolling his eyes.
As if.
Uchiha Itachi. Uchiha Sasuke's younger brother and a successful man with a wife and two children. He had been recognized as a prodigy long ago when kids his age played with toys. His gifted intellect, hard work and calm demeanor had earned him great respect among high status military officials at a very young age. Soon, he managed to gain the position of general at the young age of 32, as impossible as it sounds.
So, no. Sasuke knew he could never surpass his older brother and that thought may have bothered him for half his childhood but it didn't matter anymore. Sasuke was the Division chief himself at the age of 24 and respected by his peers. Therefore, he stopped worrying about surpassing his brother a long time ago, both of them reaching a mutual understanding of honouring and supporting each other at all times.
However, right now that information was not important.
"Why did you call me, Itachi?"
Itachi chuckled softly at his brother's impatience before taking on a more serious form.
"I am sure you remember the files that were mentioned after our parent's... "
Itachi trailed off, filling the room with awkward silence. Sasuke shifted slightly before steeling his gaze and gesturing for his brother to continue nonetheless, and so he did ,
"The only information I have been able to attain about the files is that they were assembled by the former mayor of Konoha, Namikaze Minato. The files are called 'Kyuubi' as it consists of information about 9 prominent political and military figures. Specifically, details that can end their careers for eternity. However, it is assumed that the characters mentioned in them learned of the great threat and planned a combined attack on Namikaze-san in his mansion and his wife was also killed before the house was set on fire, leaving no evidence behind. A clean job."
Sasuke looked at his brother thoughtfully, "I know all of that... Or is there something more?"
Itachi smiled, nodding his head, "Although Namikaze-san involved himself in all matters regarding the public and government's betterment, he had always been successful in keeping his private life hidden. This is the reason no one knew of the fact that his wife was pregnant around the time of the attack."
Sasuke's eyes widened slightly, "Did the child... "
"Thankfully no. The child survived but Namikaze-san asked his most trusted companion and former apprentice at the time, Hatake Kakashi, to flee their son to another country, giving the child his mother's last name."
Sasuke was struck again by the familiar name of his former teacher.
Hatake Kakashi had been a very skilled agent himself and later became an instructor, teaching Sasuke everything he knew and playing a vital role in his success, though Sasuke would never admit it to him. However, it had been 7 years since he retired early and out of touch since then. It's hard to imagine he was also involved in this case.
Itachi handed a file over to Sasuke, "Although everything remained hidden for over 19 years, I found a loophole in the whole situation."
"How did Kakashi manage to escape with the child abroad so easily?"
"Correct, little brother. Therefore, I looked into the matter further and discovered that the helper was one of us."
"Who would-", Sasuke stopped short as realization dawned upon him.
"Obito was the only person close enough to Kakashi who could help him pass through security undetected."
A slight smile marred the older man's face, "Exactly, therefore after asking for a bit, Obito revealed everything. It wasn't easy but I threatened to tell Rin he had gone to a party and drank there so he agreed."
Sasuke shook his head at his brother's antics, "Unbelievable... "
"Thanks for the praise, little brother.", Itachi exclaimed with smiling eyes.
"But if Namikaze Minato was so private, how did Obito know of his wife."
"Obito, Kakashi and Obito's wife, Rin, were his students once so they were well acquainted with his wife as well and, the Uchiha had good relations with Namikaze-san and his family too. You could call them... best friends, of sorts. Such a shame... "
Itachi now had a distant look on his face, as if remembering something that had disappeared long ago with no promise of return. Uncomfortable from the change in the air, Sasuke picked up the files to divert the subject.
"What's this?"
"Ah, that's right! The mission I am to assign you."
The younger man quirked a brow.
"Well, inside this file is the information of the son of Namikaze Minato, and his wife, Uzumaki Kushina. You have to get well acquainted with this young man and find out any information he may have regarding the Kyuubi. Their location, how to access them, the amount of data they hold. Anything.", Itachi raised his hand, causing Sasuke to shut his mouth, "And before you ask why I chose you of all people for this task, then the reasons are quite simple."
"Firstly, you are currently the only one I can trust with that information and there is a high chance that these files consist of dirt on Shimura Danzo. Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it you who vowed to bring our parents justice?." That made the younger man shut up.
Although it was never mentioned anywhere, it was no secret that Danzo was the main culprit behind their parent's assassination, including Orochimaru as his accomplice. Suddenly falling down a cliff on a bright sunny day is not normal, especially if parts of another vehicle are found near the victims'. It was later that Itachi had access to military data when he found out Uchiha Fugaku, being the most trusted friend and advisor of Namikaze Minato, looked into the massacre and found evidence that it was Danzo, Orochimaru and a few other officials behind it. However, there was none left anymore, confirming the raven's suspicions about them being the reason for their parent's deaths as well.
When Sasuke was a child, he always wanted to work in the force but after finding out about their parents, his main goal became bringing them and their killers to justice. However, even he knew that it wasn't easy to do without proper evidence since their enemies were unfortunately too powerful.
But if the Kyuubi are found...
"Secondly, the boy needs protection. Not many in the force can currently be trusted and sending the wrong person can deprive us of any chance from finding Kyuubi. Besides, the boy is your age and seems nice. I'm sure you will be able to become friends and you can escape your sad, miserable life." The older raven spoke the last statement with a dramatic shake of his head.
"My life is not sad or miserable, Itachi.", Sasuke retorted while glaring at his older brother, "I only prefer to keep to myself."
"That still does not make it healthy. It is better to go out and enjoy yourself instead of worrying over work like a 40 year old man. Even Izumi thinks so." Itachi closed his eyes while nodding his head as if reminiscing agreeing with his wife over the matter.
"Maybe you should focus on your own work and tell your wife to worry about her husband. He needs it more... " The younger raven mumbled the last statement.
Not paying much mind to his brother's words, Itachi continued "Anyways, memorize everything about this man written in this file and meet him in two days."
"What would I say? Nice to meet you. I was sent as a spy to find info about important documents compiled by your late father you are not even aware of, do you know anything?" The raven asked sarcastically.
"Well, Sasuke, although it's better to be honest and direct when establishing relationships, this mission requires discretion, so no, you will not ask him directly." Sasuke rolled his eyes at the equally petty response, "Instead, you should act as his bodyguard."
As the words sank in, Sasuke felt the need to laugh at their absurdity, "What?", was the only thing he could utter.
"Yes, my dear brother, you will act as someone who is protecting him upon the request of his deceased acquaintance whom he was very close with, Hyuuga Neji, to return an old favor."
Sasuke staggered at the last two words, or rather, the name.
Hyuuga Neji.
Hyuuga.
One of the oldest financial pillars of Japan.
And Hyuuga Neji, their head, Hyuuga Hiashi's most trusted advisor and nephew, was acquainted with this man? Itachi caught onto his brother's confusion and clarified further,
"Well, it seems we weren't the only ones searching for the files. The Hyuuga are extremely powerful financially but recently the military has taken up their spotlight, therefore they must have thought the files could bring their empire more strength. It is possible they found out about them due to their connection with Danzo. Anywho, they made the first move by sending Hyuuga Neji to retrieve them when Naruto was 21 and had only been in Japan for a year. However, it seems the mission took a different turn and Hyuuga's feelings became involved, making him reluctant to betray this boy. "
"And what does that have to do with me protecting him?"
"Well you must be aware how Neji died, or rather, was killed. Originally, it was Uzumaki Naruto who was targeted, however Neji intercepted and died protecting him. The incident was covered up quite nicely, I must say."
Sasuke sighed, rubbing his temple, "Who attempted the assassination?"
"Who do you think?", the long haired raven raised a knowing brow at his brother.
Sasuke's eyes widened, "Do the higher ups know about him already?"
"Unfortunately yes. The boy sticks out like a sore thumb so I'm sure they found out eventually, especially if they were the ones who carried out the attack. They would have found out about Uzumaki Kushina, leading them to track Uzumaki Naruto but if they made a move right now, means that it hasn't been long since their discovery." Itachi leaned back on his chair and began assembling through the paperwork again, "I hope you will carry out the mission successfully, Division Chief."
"Of course, General."
The younger man stepped out of the room while looking at the file.
Name: Uzumaki Naruto
Father's name: Namikaze Minato
Mother's name: Uzumaki Kushina
Date of birth: 10/10/1996
Gender: Male
Affiliation: Student at Konoha College
Major: Fine Arts
Note: Works part-time at a ramen place. (Ichiraku Ramen)...
There was photo attached of the 23 year old man as well. His blond hair and blue eyes contrasted greatly with his asian features, but what was stranger were the whisker-like scars on his face.
Well... Not that I care.
With that thought, Sasuke stepped out of the building to prepare for his new mission.
Present
"Thanks for the ride, Bastard."
"No need, Usuratonkachi."
"What did you just call me! Is that a cuss word?!"
Sasuke smirked looking over the enraged blond,
"Not your business."
Naruto growled before sighing, " Whatever, bastard. Goodbye. And you better come pick me up on time tomorrow!"
The raven rolled his eyes before calling out to the leaving blond,
"Remember, do not talk about me to anyone, alright?"
"Come on, dude. That's the fifth time you've said that."
"Should I say it a sixth time?"
"Fine! I got it! Just go away...", the blond mumbled before walking towards what the raven assumed was his home and ringing the bell.
As Naruto turned after pressing the button, there was no sign of the car or it's owner. He tilted his head while blinking, "Is he a ghost or something...?"
His thoughts were interrupted when the door opened to reveal a worried Umino Iruka.
"Naruto! What took you so long? I was about to go get you myself.", he said while checking Naruto for any injuries before stopping on his left arm and narrowing his eyes in anger and sympathy.
"Does it hurt?"
"No dad, it's fine.", Naruto spoke while heading inside the small house.
It was nothing special, with an open-concept kitchen, two bedrooms and a bathroom, but it was home.
Naruto sighed before removing his coat and dropping on the couch.
"Naruto! Why are you soaked? I have told you so many times to take an umbrella with you! What if you get sick? And get up from the couch, you're getting it wet!"
Naruto groaned, "Stop nagging, dad...", before yawning.
Iruka's eyes softened as he sat down beside Naruto on the floor, "Did you visit?"
"Yes.", the blond spoke after a few moments.
"Are you okay?"
Naruto didn't answer right away. After a couple moments an "I will be..." escaped his mouth as he began dragging himself to his room.
"Make sure to take a hot bath, ok!?"
"Sure, dad... "
"Seriously, this kid... Making me worry all the time." The brunette sighed before going towards the kitchen to make soup.
Naruto's room was nothing special except for the orange walls that stuck out like a sore thumb. The room wasn't neat but it wasn't messy either.
Just Naruto.
As he entered the room, the blond sat on his bedside before staring into the distance.
Now that the day was over, all his thoughts were plagued with what had happened.
Why had Neji tried protecting him?
Didn't he break up with him only a few moments before?
Did he die because of him?
He died because of me.
Me.
And even sent someone to protect me afterwards.
Ah! That's right!
Naruto opened his phone to look at the new number he had saved as 'bastard'.
Why did such an attack even take place...?
Naruto teared his eyes from the phone to stare at the last drawer of his bedside table. Bending down to open it, he took out a small painting.
He had been told that it was with him when he was found outside the orphanage in London but there was no name.
It was a beautiful illustration of loving and remembering someone. A grass field, filled with numerous white roses and a small cottage with letters 'Mine of Secrets' written on its nameplate. The sky was blue, a shade lighter than Naruto's eyes.
However, Naruto only stared at the nameplate before turning the canvas and removing the outer layer of white plastic on it to reveal a small paper in the back.
Konoha College
Pass: Birthday
The info was written messily with a few bloodstains on it, as if the writer was in a hurry.
Naruto remembered when he found it out.
He was sixteen, looking over the piece for the millionth time and admiring it's beauty, wondering who could have made it. That's when his eyes went to the back of the canvas and he noticed a corner sticking out. As he pulled, a sturdy sheet of a white plastic ripped off to reveal a folded note.
There was no name or anything to discover who had written it, but after some research, Naruto did find out that the Konoha College was in Konoha, a large town in Japan.
The blond wasn't that skilled in theoretical subjects but had always been a natural at arts. Even his teachers had mentioned it to Iruka, who himself had noticed it along with the ladies at the orphanage. The bullies there were also jealous of him for that, considering they always destroyed whatever he made. Therefore, after looking at the College and the painting, he decided instantly what he would do in the future and worked hard to get a scholarship in Konoha College.
It wasn't easy, as it was one of the top 10 universities of Japan but he was ready to do anything to find out more about whatever the small note implied. Thankfully, life was on his side as his skills, numerous certificates and sleepless nights made it happen and he entered the college at 20.
But he didn't tell anyone about the note. Not Iruka. Not his stupid masked boyfriend whom he'd met the same year Naruto had discovered it. Even though his dad did seem surprised and suspicious about the sudden dedication, he supposed it was because his child was growing up and supported him.
Now, the boyfriend.
Naruto had found Hatake Kakashi to be weird... to say the least, because who in their right mind wears a mask all the time and what was he doing in England despite being living in Japan. But the blond quickly learned to adjust. After all, it was due to that weird boyfriend he was able to convince Iruka to move to Japan and then got into his desired college.
Naruto still didn't tell anyone about the note.
3 years ago
"Hey Naruto! We're all going to the year end party, you're coming, aren't you? You better or I'm gonna kick your ass!"
"Of course, Sakura-chan! I'll be there after telling Teuchi-san that I won't be coming to work today. Tell Shikamaru to stay awake by then!", Naruto yelled while running towards the opposite street.
Upon entering college, the blond had bumped into a guy wearing a ponytail and a face that always screamed "I'd like to be anywhere but here". He found out the guy's name was Nara Shikamaru. Even Naruto didn't know how, but they eventually became friends. He was studying politics or whatnot; something about inheriting his generational wealth and all. However, Naruto doubted there was a need for him to study so much. As lazy as the dude was, his abnormal intellect cancelled it out.
After a few weeks, he met a pink-haired girl with emerald eyes named Haruno Sakura who was in physical fitness and they got along pretty well, mostly in their not so subtle ability to judge others and gossip.
Although they weren't that popular, Shikamaru being the uninterested guy he was and Sakura scaring off half the guys with her muscles except a weird one in her department who always wore a green jumpsuit and had a bowl cut with bushy eyebrows (Naruto teased her a lot for that), it was great hanging out with them. At the beginning, the blond's japanese was trash but he gradually got the hang of it. Sakura had even praised him about how he was a natural! How he even looked japanese minus the blond hair and blue eyes, but he didn't pay the thought much mind.
Naruto had also found a job at a ramen place. It was purely coincidental, with the blond losing his way for the umpteenth time in Konoha's streets with a hungry stomach and no money. However, the kind owner offered him a bowl for free.
When he first ate Teuchi-san's miso ramen, he had found his first love. It was heaven-sent, he was sure of it. Fortunately, they were looking for helpers as Teuchi-san's daughter, Ayame-chan, was pregnant at the time and Naruto got the job. (Don't ask how he found that out, he just starts talking with anyone.)
After all, how could he pass out on good salary and free ramen?
But right now, his mind wasn't occupied with thoughts of his friends or the ramen shop, but a certain storage room on the eighth floor of the Fine Arts department.
After entering college, Naruto had tried desperately to find any clues about what the painting and the note meant. That's when he heard the rumours.
2 months after college started
"Hey Naruto! Have you heard?"
"Huh? Heard what?", Naruto spoke before stuffing his face with ice cream.
Sakura sighed at his brusque way of eating, before continuing, "Ino told me every department building in our college has a storage room where you can find works from previous students. Don't you think it'll be great for ideas? Too bad students aren't allowed entry there..."
The blond paused, "Storage rooms?"
"Why would they build storage rooms if they won't let students enter?", Shikamaru yawned before plopping his head on Naruto's lap and closing his eyes, "Besides, half the things Ino says are bullshit."
"Curiosity is a thing, Shikamaru. And that's not true! Although I'd never admit it to her face, she's the queen of gossip.", Shikamaru shook his head at the girl, making her frown. "And get up from there! You both look like you're dating! I don't want Naruto to get involved in any stupid rumours because of your lazy ass."
"Who cares? The floor is too hard."
"Storage rooms... "
Shikamaru opened his eyes at the words and was met with a thoughtful look on Naruto's face, which he had only seen when Naruto was extremely focused, like thinking of the next thing he'll paint or what new ramen he would try.
"You okay?", the brunette quirked a brow.
"Huh? Oh! Yeah, nothing, Hehe." The blond replied while sheepishly rubbing his neck.
The dismissing gesture didn't go unnoticed by the other man, but he let it go, for now, with a shrug and continued staring up at the clouds.
Present
After that, Naruto had done anything he could to search every single room in the building, which was not an easy task considering the Fine Arts department was too big, having 8 floors. He began by looking into the floor of Ino's major as she was the one who spread the rumour but found nothing. Same with the rest.
One day, while racking his brain, a thought came to his mind.
"The abandoned studios on the 8th floor...!"
The college was well-kept but there were some studios that were completely unused and abandoned. However,... how would anyone know if it was truly a studio or a storage room if they had never even visited?
That's when he decided to search the forgotten rooms and came across one whose looked a bit similar to the one of the cottage's in the painting. The door was the same as the others' but there was an abstract design with yellow and red paint on it, along with a white rose in the middle. Whoever had made it must have been extremely skilled.
Unfortunately, he couldn't investigate further due to the strict security of his college and didn't get enough time to later as the semester was nearing its end.
So the blond decided to take a look on the last day of this year, when security was loose and the college was completely empty except for a few guards outside.
Being a prankster since a young age made it easy for him to sneak around and it didn't take long before he reached his destination. He bumped into a janitor on the way but thanks to his outgoing nature, he had befriended almost every person in the college, so he made an excuse to the kind old worker that he had lost his bag and went forward.
One thing he had done that would have definitely gotten him a beating from Granny Tsunade was stealing the keys, belonging to all the rooms on the eighth floor. She had called him in to discuss his progress up till now but left for the bathroom because all the alcohol had made her want to puke. The blond decided to blame it on her drinking habits to escape his guilt.
As he opened the door to the room , a million years of dust entered his mouth and nose. Barely holding in his coughs, he scanned his surroundings.
"So old... "
There were countless white cloths scattered over objects and Naruto was dreading the task of finding any clue in this unorganized hell.
After looking around for 20 minutes and finding nothing, he was about to rip his hair off in frustration before a small brush caught his eye on the corner of the shelf responsible for holding up paint equipments, he assumed.
There was something written on it.
As the blond moved closer and the letters became clearer, his eyes widened.
'Mine of secrets. U.K.'
It was a kind of custom of all the painters in their department; to remember what equipment they used to paint what piece, they wrote the work's name on the tools they had used to make them, mostly on brush sticks, with their initials.
As Naruto looked at the brush, he was filled with a strange feeling.
A connection.
Like the brush belonged to someone he had known forever.
But that was not possible, was it?
When he tried to pick the brush up, it got stuck. Upon pulling harder, Naruto heard a sound, like heavy furniture being dragged on the floor, and flinched.
After looking around for any signs of anyone approaching and finding none, the blond looked at the direction the sound had come from and felt his eyes widen.
There was a square shaped hole down on the left corner of the shelf where wood used to be. He bent down to find a type of safe present in the space.
There was nothing on it acting as a lock. The safe seemed to be really old and Naruto opened it without any difficulty.
What kind of safe is that?
As the safe slid open, something small and black came into view.
A USB drive.
A very old one at that.
Woah...
After checking the safe for anything else, the blond picked up the drive, examining it.
"Doesn't look like anything special..."
As he heard footsteps from the window on his left, the blond ducked before placing the drive in his pocket and getting out of there.
"I'll check you out later. Gotta go to the party first."
When Naruto had placed the USB on his laptop, it had required a password. That's when the blond understood why the safe was so easy to open. He had only one chance to enter the correct code otherwise the files would self-destruct. Racking his brain for anything, he decided to risk it all and enter his own birthday. Maybe the heavens wanted him to access the files, because the instant he pressed 'enter', a folder opened in front of him with a total of 9 files.
Holy Shit...!
The blond was not much into politics and was happy to just spend his life painting away.
However, even he knew of the people mentioned here.
Shimura Danzo
Orochimaru
These were all famous names,
who had done horrible things.
Each file was named 'Kyuubi' with a number and a name in front of it. For example, Kyuubi_1_name of person and so on.
As Naruto clicked on each of them one by one, his nausea continued to grow.
According to the 'Kyuubi', there were some higher ups who were involved in heinous crimes.
Some of these included Danzo who was, as written in the files, the leader of the hidden organization, Root, which handles all kinds of assassinations and other affairs in secret. He was also involved in the kidnapping and auctioning of some children and some young adults who were then experimented on by Orochimaru, a renowned and successful surgeon, to produce 'capable' soldiers.
As if! They're just making lifeless weapons!
There were many other names who were very important in the japanese political world, some culprits behind corruption while others engaged in the rape and assault of girls, boys and grown women and men as well. All in all, these documents could very well get these people in jail in a second, maybe even get them executed.
Shit! But what am I supposed to do here!?
Even a dense person like him understood that this was far more serious and darker than he could handle. Even if he did release these, there was no guarantee he would be safe, not that he cared much about his life. He would do anything to bring these people to justice. However, he knew that if he acted impulsively, the files' whereabouts would be easily tracked, considering how powerful these people were and everything would be covered up in no time.
The police?
For a second, Naruto felt hope.
But his mind brought him back to reality.
No. I don't know if they'll support me. What if they're a part of all this too? I can't take any chances.
He really wished he could ask someone for advice right now, but that was also a stupid thought. He would never involve anyone in this matter, especially not the people he cares about when he hasn't even figured out how to take care of this.
He was thankful that the semester was over and there were no classes for a while because the blond couldn't sleep for another couple of nights, overthinking all the atrocities these people committed and what he could do to get them punished for their crimes.
Several days past, Naruto finally stood up from his bed, walking towards the USB with determination in his every step. For now, he thought, it would be better to put them where they were first at. I'll think about what to do after.
After somehow dodging security and entering the storage room once again, he stared at the open safe.
This isn't gonna stay here permanently, he reminded himself, I'll bring justice to you all once I find the right person.
Promising himself, he put the USB in before closing the safe and then pushing the brush. The square-like space closed, leaving no trace of anything behind.
Present
"Naruto! Freshen up, the food's ready!"
Iruka's voice snapped the blond out of his stupor. He uttered a small "Alright.", getting up to go and take a bath.
He had no idea why he had been given clues about where these files were or who told him. There was no mention of the compiler. Whoever did that did not need any recognition, he or she only wanted justice. It had been three years and he was still not aware of what to do.
When he and Neji got closer, he thought of telling him about the 'Kyuubi'. Because Neji had what was needed to destroy these old bastards.
Power.
Power and goodwill. Naruto knew Neji was the kindest person there ever was. That's why he decided to tell him in the church that day.
But then...
No matter how much the blond thought about it, the reason Neji died was because of his stupidity. He should have stayed inside. He should've stopped him. Begged him if he had to. All of it was worth his life.
But now, all he had was these regrets and a phone number that will never answer back.
Naruto stayed in the bath for what felt like hours, staring at the bubbles flowing everywhere until Iruka's worried voice gave him some motivation to stand up.
By then, all thoughts of Uchiha Sasuke had left his mind. The blond didn't care why he approached him and it seemed the other man did not have much interest in him either. He just needed to find a way to give these files up to the right person so the countless victims could rest peacefully and no one else would have to give up their life for him like Neji.
As he moved to get out of the bath, Naruto once again thought about the moment Neji closed his eyes and uttered his last words. As long as he lived, Naruto didn't think he would ever be able to forgive himself for causing that.
So he would do what was right and not let Neji's sacrifice go in vain.